José Miguel Domínguez Alemán (January 14, 1756 most likely in Mexico City – April 22, 1830 in Mexico City) was a New Spanish colonial official in New Spain who played a part in the Mexican independence movement. He was also a member of a transitional governing committee in the period between the abdication of Mexican Emperor Agustín de Iturbide and the installation of Guadalupe Victoria as the first president of independent Mexico. His wife, Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, also known as La Corregidora, was a heroine of Mexican independence. Background Domínguez was a Criollo (a Spaniard born in America), although his parents were from Spain. He studied law in the College of San Ildefonso, graduating and entering the legal profession. In 1791 he met Josefa Ortiz in the College of the Vizcainas and married her the same year. She was 12 years younger than him. Domínguez occupied various positions in the treasury office and in other offices of the viceregal government. Viceroy Félix Berenguer de Marquina named him corregidor of the city of Querétaro. Domínguez was an opponent of Viceroy José de Iturrigaray's appropriation of the religious estates in 1805. In 1808, he proposed to the city government of Querétaro that they join with the government of Mexico City in establishing a junta for the colony, to govern New Spain in the name of the deposed King Ferdinand VII. Viceroy Iturrigaray at least tacitly supported this effort. Independence conspiracy In Querétaro both Domínguez and his wife were involved in the independence conspiracy organized after the French occupation of Spain. Meetings were held in the guise of a literary society at the home of the priest José María Sánchez, and were under the protection of the corregidor himself. Besides the Domínguezes and Sánchez, the other conspirators included the licenciados Parra, Laso and Altamirano and the military officers Joaquín Arias, Francisco Lanzagorta Inchaurreri, Ignacio Allende and Juan Aldama. The latter two were stationed in San Miguel el Grande, Guanajuato. They were in contact with Father Miguel Hidalgo in Dolores, Guanajuato, as was Domínguez. Also part of the conspiracy in Querétaro were the brothers Emeterio and Epigmenio González, as arms-makers for the rebels. In addition there were organized conspiracies in San Miguel, Celaya, Guanajuato, San Felipe, San Luis Potosí and Mexico City. Father Hidalgo was chosen to lead. December 1, 1810 was chosen as the date for the insurrection, but this was later